New York Yankees

New York Mets

1

2

W: S. Fife

L: C. Villanueva

S: K. Jansen

Highlight:

The Grandstands

Wrigley
Field

I
am about to make a controversial statement. I do not like Wrigley
Field. Are you still reading? Good, because I was lying. Of course
I love Wrigley Field, it is impossible not to. I have some minor
quibbles with the friendly confines, but overall this remains one of
the best ballparks on the planet. It is time for some day baseball
at the second oldest stadium in the country. Come on Cubbies, let's
get some runs.

Welcome to Wrigley

What
is there to say about Wrigley Field that has not been said already?
Honestly, I am asking. This park has been around since 1914 and
until very recently was largely untouched. They held their first
night game the same year that Who Framed Roger Rabbit
was released in theaters. Over the years there have been some
renovations to the stadium that have included adding and removing
seats, installing lights, and adding an LED scoreboard in right
field; however some major changes are on the horizon. The city of
Chicago recently approved the Cubs spending $500 million to update
this historic park. This will include a fully electronic jumbotron
in left field and a possible redesign of the concourse. I spoke to a
married couple who have been coming to Wrigley since 1938 about the
differences in the park before and after WWII and I was pleasantly
surprised at the answer. If you would like to hear my chat with Rich
and Barbara please subscribe to the podcast and be on the lookout for
the Cubs episode to be released.

Wrigley from the train station

The
only way to get to Wrigley is via the L. Do not even attempt to
drive in because parking is a nightmare. Upon arriving at the
Addison stop of the red line, I was treated to a great view of the
light fixtures high atop the stadium. Stepping onto a train platform
in full view of a baseball stadium is one of those experiences that
feels special every time. Baseball fans in Baltimore, New York and
Chicago get to replicate this moment at least 81 times a year which
is something that I am incredibly jealous of. As I walked down the
stairs and arrived into the pleasant surroundings of Wrigleyville I
felt like I was stepping back in time. I looked up at the iconic
sign reading “Wrigley Field Home of the Chicago Cubs” and felt a
chill run down my spine. For the past 99 years men, women and
children have stood at that exact spot and looked up at one of
America's most beautiful monuments to perseverance. The popularity
of the Cubs on the field ebbs and flows as new generations begin to
embrace the “loveable losers” moniker every couple of years, but
through it all, this stadium survives.

After
scarfing down a bison dog from the Chicago Dogs stand I took a stroll
around the stadium. Obviously, as this ballpark is nearly a century
old, there is little in the way of amenities around the concourse.
The walls themselves are the main attractions. I have spent the last
six years living in Manhattan. During that time I would often stop
and think about the centuries of humans who once stood on the same
slab of concrete or patch of grass as I was standing. People who
have long since passed away, but at one point were looking in the
exact same direction as me and perhaps having the same thoughts and
the same emotions. We are still a relatively young country in the
grand scheme of things, but walking around the hallways of Wrigley
connected me to the millions of Americans who walked through those
turnstiles for the last ten decades. We in the States do not have
thousand-year-old churches like they do in Europe; but we have our
baseball cathedrals that will hopefully never go away.

Bison Dog

Chicago Dogs

Sadly,
I was unable to venture into the famed bleachers without a ticket.
Instead, I headed to my seats in the grandstand and enjoyed some pop
music being played live on the organ. I will never understand why
every ballpark in the country does not employ an organist to
entertain the crowd. The organ makes *insert current popular music
sensation* listenable. As you can tell, I am not really up on the
pop music today. My collection ends around 1998. Even though it was
a nice 66 degree day outside, my seats were in the shade and kept me
pretty cool for the entire 9-inning affair. Unless you are lucky
enough to sit in one of the field boxes close to home plate, I
recommend you bring a jacket. Before the game began, the lone video
scoreboard in right field lit up with images of notable moments in
Cubs history accompanied by the radio and television broadcast calls.
You can never escape the fact that you are sitting inside of a
historical landmark, and I love it.

Game Time

I
believe that I witnessed a quintessential Cubs game. The Cubbies
outhit the Dodgers 7-2, and somehow lost 1-0. After giving up a
double with one out in the 4th inning, Cubs pitching did
not surrender another base hit for the rest of the game. To
call this a heartbreaker is to forget the past 105 years. Sadly this
is the type of baseball that the Northsiders have come to expect from
their ball club. Honestly, I have no idea how you do it Cubs fans.
I grew up in Kalamazoo, MI which is exactly between Chicago and
Detroit. It took me two and a half hours to get to an MLB stadium in
either direction. I could have easily chosen the Cubs to be my team
of choice, but I had too much Detroit in my blood to let that happen.
I have the utmost respect for true Cubbies fans for putting up with
this franchise year after year.

Packed house at the Friendly Confines

It
may not happen soon, but one day it will be your time. One day the
Cubs will do it. It may not be for another 105 years, but it will
happen. When that day does come, whether you are alive to see it or
not, you will have played a part in history by supporting this team
and the celebration will be like none other. The joy that we have
all felt watching our home town teams hoist the trophy in the air
will pale in comparison to the pure unbridled ecstasy that you, or
your children, or your children's children will feel. And for that I
am envious. I have felt the pain and despair of 119 losses, or
losing a nine-point lead in the 4th quarter of game seven
in the 2005 NBA championship, or simply by being a Lions fan. But
none of that compares to what it is to be a Cubs fan. The lows that
you have felt for generations will only lead the way for a high that
I can not even imagine. I can not wait for the day that the Cubs
figure it out and make their way back to the top of the baseball
elite. In the meantime however, you do have one of the best
ballparks on the planet to call home, and that is something you can
always be proud of.

Beach ball on the field

A
byproduct of being perpetual underdogs leads me to my one minor
quibble with the lovely people in Chicago. I understand that Wrigley
is an American institution and a landmark unto itself. Subsequently
this will attract non-baseball fans by the thousands which is
generally speaking an amazing feat. But if you are going to show up
to a game here, would it be so difficult to actually, I don't know,
pay attention to at least one inning of action the field please? I
am not asking for everyone who comes out to the ballpark to watch
every pitch, but how about watching one at bat? What drove me nuts
was that there were large groups of people that I am pretty sure had
no idea that a baseball game was even happening in front of them.
This, by the way, did not happen in the bleachers. This was behind
home plate in some pretty expensive seats. The bleachers were packed
with both locals and tourists looking for a great place to party and
toss around a beach ball (which landed on the field at least three
times). I am actually in favor of the bleachers serving as a venue
for the more raucous fans to express their fandom in anyway they
choose. It is the people taking the good seats from the loyal fan
bases that drive me nuts. Going to a baseball game is an inclusive
activity. There is always something for everyone to enjoy including
the play on the field, the views of the urban environments, the
scoreboard games between innings, the food, activities and stores
around the concourse and much more. My only request is that when the
home team needs your support, you give it to them.

I
do not want to end this post on a negative note, so I will reiterate
that overall this remains one of the best baseball venues in the
world. I have not yet visited the stadiums in Latin America, Asia
and beyond, but the bar is set pretty high for what I expect out of a
ballpark. You do not need me to tell you this, but if you are ever
in the Midwest, you need to make it a priority to attend a game at
Wrigley Field. My only regret is that the Cubs did not win today,
but maybe that is the only way one can truly appreciate a game at
Wrigley Field...surviving a tough loss with 40,000 other people in
the comfort of the friendly confines. I will now leave you with the image of the magnificent manual scoreboard in center field.

Latest Podcast

Rounding Third may be coming to an end, but a new baseball season brings a brand new podcast. In this, the final episode, I introduce you to The Clubhouse Podcast and talk a bit about my favorite ballparks.